The present invention pertains to a decorative composite panel for use as a floor or wall member. In recent years, the use of natural material such has hardwood, marble, slate or mosaic tiles has become especially popular on floors and walls because of the luxurious appearance and because of the connotation of quality generally associated with such materials. These materials however are generally quite expensive and the installation very time consuming. Attempts have been made to produce a decorative surface coverings of synthetic materials such as plastics and resins to substitute for the most costly aforementioned materials.
For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,139,671 and 4,337,290, to Kelly et al disclose synthetic laminate surfaces with woodgrain graphics for use in resurfacing worn wooden bowling lanes. These surfaces are generally comprised of layers of fiber glass cloth impregnated with a thermosetting resin. The laminates however are relatively thin, i.e., approximately 0.141 inches in thickness, and require a substrate to which it is attached, generally by means of adhesive. A problem associated with such structures is separation of the laminate surface from the substrate. Separation can result from temperature variations which effects the different coefficients of thermal expansion of the different layers, or from moisture absorption which causes the layers to flex at different rates causing separation and bulging. A heavy impact on a surface can also cause separation of the laminate from the substrate surface.
The present invention overcomes these and other problems by providing a decorative surface panel which is strong, wear and impact resistant, and easy to fabricate and install, which panel is of a sufficient thickness to be installed over floor joists or wall studs.